The Touch of a Serpent
by mooreofrachael
Summary: After a drunken encounter with Draco Malfoy, Hermione finds herself questioning if he is actually so dark after all. Lemons. Follows roughly the plot of HBP. (Image credits to Doberants20)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, they all belong to J.K Rowling. The plot follows Half-Blood Prince, so if you recognize it, it's not mine. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Prologue. For Now**

 _July 2nd, 1997_

She turned to face the boy lying beside her, taking in the sharp line of his jaw, his dark lashes that were fluttering against his pale cheek, and his lips slightly swollen from their recent snog. She noted the curve of his neck, how his collarbone was clearly outlined, and his notably muscular upper torso was relaxed for once. His breathing was slow and even, proving to her that he was, indeed, asleep soundly next to her, and she sighed with a bit of relief. Knowing he was alive, healthy, that he loved her and cared for her, was one of the only things keeping her going these days. The war was just beginning, having witnessed the boy nearly murder their Headmaster under command of the Dark Lord. Hermione knew that whatever was to follow would be dark, and painful. Hell, she may not even make it through the war. But at that moment, she was still alive, able to lay beside the love of her life and watch him while he dreamed peacefully.

The image of his twisted expression, the fear and dread painted plainly on his face as he stared down Albus Dumbledore, flashed behind her eyelids as the fresh memory floated to the surface of her thoughts. She had wanted to leap in and save him, from himself, from Voldemort, from Dumbledore, but she knew she couldn't. Had she done so, the witch could have wrecked everything he had worked to conceal, to manipulate in order to keep her safe. He had done everything in his power to ensure that she lived to see the war, even though he couldn't promise her much after that. There were on opposites sides, as their circumstances had deemed them to be, even though she knew he would give anything for the freedom to stand at _her_ side. Thankfully, someone else had stepped in and done what Draco obviously couldn't gather the courage to do and killed the Headmaster. It had been a shock to see the green curse shoot from the end of her professor's wand and see Dumbledore fall from the top of the tower, even though she had known it was coming.

While she stood firmly with her friends in their quest against Voldemort, there were shades of grey that came with her new perspective that started to warp her view on the war coming for them. Draco may have been the son of a Death Eater, but he was nothing like them. He was kind, and loving, and believed all witches and wizards to be equal. And even though he was being coerced into doing _horrible_ things, he was tormented by the task. Dumbledore had been manipulating Harry into being the leader of a war since he was a child. He'd hid things from them, things that would have helped them greatly through life that she had only just found out.

Sitting there now, staring at her hero, she could sense how truly one-sided her view had become. Hermione had prided herself for years on being open-minded and fair, seeing things from the perspective of others and given those she didn't know the benefit of the doubt. She had missed, obviously, how polarised her perceptions had become over the years, and how easily she found herself supporting what she believed the be the _right_ side of things. It seemed, however, that right and wrong was more subjective than she could have ever imagined, and the proof was asleep right beside her.

Gingerly, she rolled onto her side, propping her head up under her palm and continued watching him. The placid nature of seeing him sleeping made her eyelids heavy and her arm weakened. She bent her elbow and tucked her arm under the pillow so she could lean into him, resting her head on his chest. He responded a moment later by wrapping his arms around her and inhaling deeply. Nuzzling in, Hermione closed her and held him close.

"Goodnight, Granger," he whispered, kissing the top of her head, and squeezing her just a bit.

"Goodnight, Malfoy," she replied, drifting off to sleep.

 **Chapter 1. The Beginning**

 _October 31st, 1996_

It was Halloween, but frankly, no one was in the celebratory mood. Ron was a bit touchy overseeing his sister snogging Dean and Harry was just as stressed about Quidditch try-outs and leading the Gryffindor team to victory. Hermione, however, was on edge about what had happened to Katie, her classes, and most of all Ronald's complete lack of interest in her. It wasn't that she was being obvious about her affections for the bloke, but she wasn't exactly hiding it. She'd invited him to Slughorn's Christmas party, which he bluntly declined, citing his disinterest in puttering around with a bunch of _know-it-alls_. Both Harry and Hermione had been slightly hurt by the comment, but they understood he was simply jealous at not being included in the Slug Club. And Hermione had heard it enough times from her potions professor over the years that it didn't carry quite the sting he may have wanted it to.

So now they were sitting at the Halloween feast, Ron shovelling food into his mouth as if it were his career, Harry staring intently across the room at the Slytherin table, and Hermione nervously tapping her nails on the wood in front of her. She wasn't hungry, especially so after watching the mess that was being sloshed around in Ron's trap. Sighing, she twisted to look behind her at the Slytherins' table where Harry was staring and notice Draco gazing down at his food with a tormented expression. _Surely, it's not_ that _hard to make yourself eat?_ She mused, turning back to her own meal. Inhaling deeply, she sent one quick look to run who was now chugging back pumpkin juice and winced. _On second thought, I completely understand._ The witch pushed her meal away from her a bit and propped her head up on her palms.

"Why do you think he looks so angry, 'mione?" Harry asked, absent-mindedly. Harry's eyes were still fixed on the boy behind her and she exhaled, rolling her eyes, and sitting back.

"I don't know, Harry. Maybe he's not feeling well?" She offered, knowing it wasn't the answer he was looking for. The boy-who-lived was dead set on pegging Draco as the culprit behind Katie's curse. Ever since seeing the blond with his family at Borgin and Burke's, he was convinced the boy was a Death Eater, just like his father, and that he was on some mission against him or Dumbledore. She and Ron had both tried reasoning with him, stating the severe lack of evidence proving his theory, but he never listened to them.

"Or he's plotting his next attack on Dumbledore," Ron encouraged. Hermione shot him a deathly glare and he sent an equally menacing one in return.

"Don't listen to him, Harry, he's just being a prat," Hermione covered quickly, but Harry didn't seem to be listening to either of them.

"Oi!" Ron protested, but Hermione waved him off and leaned into Harry, hoping to enter into his field of vision and distract him from his fixation. Her dark-haired friend broke his stare and took a forkful of his dinner. Tucking a curl behind her ear, Hermione glanced around the Great Hall, in the moment of silence. The tables were packed, as normal for the Halloween feast, but it was abnormally quiet. It seemed that everyone was in the same mood as the trio and it wasn't surprising, given the proven return of the Dark Lord and the looming war.

"Harry, you can't let him get to you. _That_ is more likely to be his plan," Hermione reasoned, resting her chest on her forearms, as she attempted to look him in the eye. He avoided her contact and simply continued powering through his dinner. The next few minutes passed in silence and the witch was beginning to get anxious. She had papers she could be working on, assignments, books to read. Instead, she was sitting with her friends in awkward quiet as they internally debated the existence of a Death Eater amongst their ranks.

Dessert showed up and Ron eagerly filled his plate with a variety of cakes and sweets that frankly just made Hermione nauseous. "I think I'm going to go to bed," the witch announced with a sneer at her gluttonous friend. _Perhaps this is more of a convenience crush than anything genuine,_ she mused, watching him devour one of the cakes. _Yes, that_ must _be what it is,_ the witch determined, tearing her eyes away from the crime scene that was unfolding. She waited for some form of acknowledgement, but when it seemed like nothing was coming her way, she stood up from the bench, flattening to her skirt and buttoning up her cardigan. "Goodnight Harry, Ronald," she said as she turned to leave the Great Hall.

The witch decided to take a detour on her way back to the Gryffindor tower, walking along the outer edge of the castle to look out over the grounds from the large windows. Leaning against a wall, she looked out at the darkened landscape, the stars barely visible but twinkling still behind the clouds rolling past. It wasn't raining, though it had been for the previous weeks, and all the trees had shed their leaves onto the grounds. The orange, red, and yellow colouring was beautiful in the daytime, and she was very much looking forward to the walk she had planned with Ginny after the Quidditch match on Saturday. That night, however, the colours were more shades of grey, with the odd muted dash of orange.

"Rather be here than with your friends at the feast?" Draco's voice made Hermione spin around to face him. "I don't blame you, a rather unintelligent pair they are. You, however, have got some brains. Overcompensating does people good sometimes," he noted smugly, his hands in his pockets. He donned a crisp all-black suit with a Slytherin tie, and his white-blond hair was slicked back.

"Sometimes it doesn't, something you'd know a lot about," she quipped back, crossing her arms over her chest, and stepped back to the wall. He sneered at her, ready to hit her with another insult, disguised or otherwise. Instead, he was interrupted by a deep, resonating voice that made the witch nearly jump out of her shoes.

"Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, might I suggest a slightly more secluded area for your couple's quarrel," Snape hissed, his tone even and unfeeling. A shiver ran over her skin as she looked over at the professor standing behind her. The two students moved to protest and proclaimed their adamant denial of his assumption, but he shot his hand up to silence them. "As it is, I have need of you Mister Malfoy, please accompany me to my office," the Defence professor commanded. When Draco didn't move, the older wizard widened his eyes and seethed through gritted teeth, " _Now."_ The blond did as he was told and turned around, but not before giving Hermione another once-over.

She swore she heard him spit something close to _mudblood_ , but she didn't engage him in his pettiness. Instead, Hermione just ground her teeth and spun on her heel, storming off towards Gryffindor Tower.

Once in the common room, she stomped up to the girl's dormitories and threw open the door. Lavender was partially undressed and held her jumper up to cover her chest. "Merlin, Hermione, knock much?" The blonde shrieked in shock at the sudden entrance. Hermione paid the girl no mind and went straight for her cot, pulling closed the curtains around the bed and huffing dramatically.

While she didn't believe the boy was a Death Eater, Draco Malfoy was certainly a right git and she had _every_ right to loathe him. From the moment he found out about her blood heritage, he made it his mission to be as bigoted and deplorable to her as he could possibly be and let her know at every turn how much lesser of a witch she was.

The brunette ripped off her cardigan, undershirt, and bra before wiggling out of her skirt and tights. Left in her knickers, she leaned over the edge of her bed and peeked out from the curtains to open her trunk. She pulled out a pair of Gryffindor shorts and an oversized t-shirt that her parents had given her as a leftover from one of their promotional runs for their dental practice. Hermione tugged on her sleep clothes and laid back in her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

 _Why is it that Draco sodding Malfoy gets to me every time? I_ know _I'm not a lesser witch simply because my parents are muggles. I_ know _I'm intelligent. I've been called the brightest witch of my age, for Merlin's sake._ _There is no good reason the boy should continue to tease me into our sixth year, there is No. Good. Reason,_ she huffed internally. Crossing her arms over her chest, feeling her nipples harden at the contact. _Oh, for Merlin's sake,_ she rolled her eyes as she turned to face the wall, frustration building.

The witch tucked herself under the covers after reached out to her nightstand and gathering the novel she'd been reading. Casting _lumos_ to read in the darkened room, she finished a few chapters before she was able to fall asleep. She'd wished it had been Friday, so she could stay up late and finish her novel, but it was only Thursday and she had Potions bright and early the next day.

-x-

 _November 1st, 1996_

It was almost as if the elves of Hogwarts had spent the entire evening undecorating from Halloween because when Hermione made her way down to breakfast, the entire castle seemed to become just that much bleaker in the face of the new month. Ron and Harry weren't up yet, she the witch took the opportunity to eat her meal without the delightful image of her ginger mate mashing eggs like a horse. Ginny sat down across from her shortly after and gave her friend a brief smile. "Good morning, 'mione," she greeted.

"Good morning, Gin," Hermione responded, cutting up a piece of toast and egg, with a bit of bacon on it, then plopped it into her mouth. She poured herself a cup of tea and added her desire milk and sugar as the two girls ate in silence. The room started to fill up as late risers began filing in, to power through their meals before class. Hermione was nearly done when Ron and Harry came barrelling into the Great Hall to take their seats beside the girls. Harry gave a shy grin to the youngest Weasley before shovelling some food onto his plate to start eating. "I'll see you in potions, Harry?" Hermione said as she stood up, slinging her bag across her chest. The dark-haired boy nodded, his mouth full and the brunette started off towards the third-floor classroom.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't make it far before she heard the tell-tale sound of Draco's expensive Oxfords against the castle floor. Hermione shut her eyes tight and resolved herself to just keep walking, speeding up her pace just a bit to stay out of earshot from the boy, but she was unsuccessful. It seemed that his legs were simply longer than hers, as he was a good six inches taller than she was, and he caught up with her far too easily.

"Get Potter to stop staring at me, would you, Granger? It's awful disturbing," he demanded, not stopping to speak to her and simply walking past her. She wasn't sure what it was about the comment that made her fume, perhaps it was simply the fact that it was _Malfoy_ who had made the request of her. _It's not like I'm Harry's keeper, I can't fix who he stares at,_ she shot back mentally.

Taking up a spot in her regular potion's desk, she brought out her textbook and readied her station as she waited for Slughorn. The classroom slowly filled and as she waited for Harry to join her, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander over to the boy who had been a menace since she met him. Draco was alone at his station, his book set up much like hers was, and he was staring off at another Slytherin boy with his jaw clenched. Following his gaze, she noted he was glaring at Theodore Nott.

"Good morning, students," Slughorn announced, pulling her attention away from the interaction as her professor entered the room. Harry was distinctively missing from her left and she stepped up on her tip-toes to see if he was coming down the hall. "Miss Granger, good morning. How was your Halloween?" The older potions master inquired to her surprise. She stared at him a moment, collecting her thoughts enough to respond.

"Fine, sir, thank you," she finally spoke, eliciting a twisted grin from the wizard before he glanced to her left.

"No Potter today, I see?" He noted, looking back to her. Hermione winced. The sting that came with the fact that her professor was more interested in having her friend in their class than her. It was something she still hadn't gotten used to. Being the best friend of the chosen one meant that she and Ron were nearly always in his shadow, but she didn't mind that socially. Academically, however, the witch found it was shocking just how cold it was to be in the shade behind her friend.

"I'm sure he's on his way, sir," she offered, glancing back to the door where Harry appeared moments later. He looked a bit frazzled, his tie was a bit undone and his hair was a mess. Not that he was normally put together, he hardly ever tucked his shirt in, but he looked particularly out of sorts at that moment, as if he had been running about the castle and gotten lost on his way to class. She narrowed her eyes at him as he made his way through the classroom.

"Sorry I'm late, sir," he apologized, finding his way over to Hermione, and setting down his battered copy of the textbook. Hermione gave him a short sideways glance as he adjusted his robes and straightened his tie. She nearly rolled her eyes, having tucked hers away before class, as wearing a tie during brewing was an explosion waiting to happen.

"Glad you could join us, Potter," Slughorn said joyfully, turning around to face the front. "Now then, let's begin the lesson, shall we?" His voice trailed off into the back of her mind, knowing exactly what it was they were going to be learning and opting not to listen to his briefing on what she had already read twice before coming to the practical lesson.

Since Harry had started out-performing her, she had begun practising even harder on her own time. Testing out potions before class in the second-floor girl's lavatory, reading passages repeatedly until she practically had the content memorised. Frankly, it was taking up any free time she had left, and she was beginning to miss her friends over it. So, Hermione had promised herself she would cut back on the competitive studying habits she had developed and leave more time for her friends. She was already weeks ahead on homework assignments, so she could afford to relax a bit. While it was her N.E.W.T year, making it inherently stressful, she felt she had a rather strong handle of most of the material she had decided to enrol in for her sixth year at Hogwarts.

"Draco's staring at you," Harry commented, drawing Hermione's attention. She frowned at her friend before looking over to find the blond in fact making eye contact with her before immediately turning away. She did too, turning her focus to her professor to at least pretend to be listening. As he droned on, she felt her eyes being pulled across the room to see if the boy had continued to stare at her, and each time she looked over, he had been. The hairs at the nape of her neck began to stand on edge and shivers scattered over her arms as she attempted to remain composed under the blonde's scrutiny.

 _Why does he keep staring at me? Should I stare back at him to make him stop? What does he want?_ His voice was clear in her mind as she recalled the many times he'd hurled foul names and deep cutting insults at her and her friends. _Is he just coming up with more awful things to say to me? Maybe he's staring at Harry. He asked me to keep Harry from staring at him, but now he's staring at me. Maybe that's why. He wants me to know what it feels like to be stared at for long periods of time so I will actually get Harry to stop doing it to him. If that's the case, it's wor-_

"Miss Granger, why don't you start us off?" Slughorn suggested, swinging Hermione's focus to the present. Heat spread across her cheeks as she blushed deeply, her eyes widening as she examined the board briefly to see if there was any context she could draw from to answer his question. It was blank and her stomach was churning as she gaped in silence.

"I'm sorry, sir, what was the question?" She asked. For the first time in her entire educational career, Hermione Jean Granger had not only not been paying attention, but she didn't have an answer to the question posed of her. The witch could feel the eyes of her classmates glued to her as she wanted nothing more than to shrink into herself.

"You could use it to reverse the effects of a Sleeping Draught, sir," Harry chimed in, making Slughorn beam with pride. Hermione wanted to vomit. _Uses of Wiggenweld Potion,_ she figured, having memorized an extensive list of normally practised uses and alternative uses she had found in a text she had checked out from the library for a bit of light reading.

"Very good, Potter! Five points to Gryffindor," their professor proclaimed proudly, walking towards the Slytherin side of the room. The witch sunk into herself and leaned against the classroom wall behind her.

"Where's your head, 'mione?" Harry questioned, making her exhale deeply.

"No idea," she answered.

* * *

 **A/N I'm the kind of person that starts one story and gets really excited about it, but then sees one Instagram post for a different ship and decides to write an entirely new fic about it. So, I hope I can work on this one and my other main story at the same time and not lose focus! I look forward to your comments.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2. Felix Felicis**

 _November 2nd_ _, 1996_

Harry had slipped some liquid luck into Ron's pumpkin juice that morning and Hermione couldn't have been more livid. Sure she had perhaps jinxed McLaggen during try-outs so that Ron would win the position, but that was just tryouts. _This was a real match._ Hermione had managed to keep from chewing off the boy's heads as she made it to the Quidditch pitch and took her spot amongst the Gryffindors to watch her team cheat to win the game. It was a shock she managed to get through the game without freezing to death in the stands, though it wasn't much of a shock that they won. It was as if the minute November came upon the castle, the weather reacted by taking the temperature down a couple degrees, just to make her supportive nature just that much more of a curse.

Ginny had cancelled their walk the minute she joined them after the game in favour of the celebration, and Hermione was silently grateful. She was truly looking forward to sitting by the fire and perhaps a cup of tea once the party had died down. Her nose was beginning to drip and her throat ached a little bit, so the witch was worried she might have been coming down with a bit of a cold, only exasperated by her hours in the Quidditch stands. She had decided that a quick trip to Madame Pomfrey for a potion to nip her illness in the bud before it got worse would be the best course of action. Missing class over a runny nose and cough was not something she could afford this year.

Making their way to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione peeled off from her group to go to the infirmary, without letting anyone know. They didn't seem to notice her departure, so she continued on and pushed open the door to the hospital wing. It was relatively empty, which never ceased to surprise her during Quidditch season. Poppy Pomfrey was tending to a patient in one of the cots and looked up to see Hermione, sending the student a big grin.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" She asked kindly, walking over to her gracefully. Hermione had considered healing as a profession and had nearly asked the mediwitch if she might train under her for a bit, but after Harry's bone loss and subsequent regrowth process, she had decided it wasn't for her. She was now focused on Arithmancy or Transfigurations as a mastery, hoping to take it into the Ministry after her schooling.

"I'm coming down with a bit of a cold, do you have anything that might prevent it from taking too much of a toll on my energy?" The younger witch enquired, to the concern of the mediwitch. Poppy nodded with her brows furrowed, turning around and walking off to her cabinet of medicine.

"I have just the thing, dear!" She called over her shoulder, slightly muffled as she sifted through the vials in her storage. After a moment, Poppy produced a blue vial and held it up to the light. "This will do it!" Madame Pomfrey proclaimed as she started walking back towards the brunette. "Mind you, it can take quite a bit out of you the first night, so take it right before you go to sleep. You'll wake up Sunday completely healthy," she warned.

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," Hermione grinned, taking the potion from the mediwitch before turning around and slamming directly into a tall, sturdy form.

"Open your eyes once in a while, Granger," Draco spat, shoving past her to talk to Poppy. Hermione looked at him, dumbfounded, as she attempted to process the situation. _How long had he been standing there for him not to move out of the way? How did I miss him?_ As she slowly started to continue her journey back to the common room, she tried to recall if she had felt another presence around her when she was talking to the mediwitch, but nothing could come to her.

She made it up to the Fat Lady and gave the password before entering into the fray of celebrating Gryffindors. If her House was known for anything besides their alleged bravery, it was their desire to throw ridiculous parties to celebrate Quidditch wins. Ronald seemed to be the centre of attention this particular rousing, and he was being carried on the shoulders of a couple of fans while everyone hollered _For He's a Jolly Good Fellow_ at him. Hermione rolled her eyes, then examined the hoard in search of her friends. Harry and Ginny were cheering on their friend, and Dean had his arms wrapped protectively around the Weasley girl while shooting daggers at Harry. Just as she moved to look back at Ron, she noticed Lavender brown shoving her way through the crowd as they let Ron down from their shoulders. Immediately, the blond girl threw herself at the ginger and drew him into a passionate snog. Ron was stunned for a moment, as was Hermione, but he easily melted into it. The stun turned to anger and Hermione spun on her heel and stormed out of the common room.

"You are not jealous, you are _not_ jealous," she repeated to herself as she stomped through the corridors and up to the Astronomy tower which seemed to be her safe space as of late. Her anger turned to tears and she collapsed onto the steps, holding her midriff and gasping for air. Her rational brain screamed through the mess of tears but she couldn't listen. _He's not the right boy for you. He's not bookish, he's not witty, he's just a tall, lumbering, prick._ Still, the pain of seeing the boy she loved wrapped up in the arms of another witch stung, and her heart felt as though it were about to implode.

It was cold in the stairway, the breeze from the exposed tower brushing past her as she held onto herself and tried not to shiver. The cold, thankfully, took away from her desire to cry and instead she warmed herself up with warming charms. Gritting her teeth, the image seemed to be burned into her skull and she willed herself to forget it. The witch thought back to breakfast, the way he mashed food around in his mouth and how he couldn't have cared less about cheating at Quidditch. He was her friend, as much as Harry was her friend, and that was okay. He didn't have to love her. She didn't have to love him. _It's just convenience_ , she reminded herself, burying her face into her hands.

"Might want to pick another stairwell to cry in, Granger," the familiar voice sent a jolt of anger into her spine as she shot up from her spot on the stairs. The icy blue eyes of Draco Malfoy met hers and she frowned. "Weasel's on his way up," he warned, making Hermione's heart skip a beat. She took a step back, taller than him from being on the higher step, and balanced herself on the railing. He looked ragged, dark bags sitting under his eyes, and the hollows of his cheeks more prominent. He didn't look up to the task of messing with the girl at that moment so she took his advice and passed by him, watching the boy as she did. The wizard didn't look at her, keeping his eyes trained on the top of the stairs and started to move towards them.

"Thank you, Draco," she whispered, rushing down the rest of the steps. Her curious nature was nagging at her to bombard him with questions. _Why would you warn me? Why wouldn't you tease me for crying? Why do you look like you haven't slept in days? What's wrong? Why are you suddenly less of a prick when not half an hour ago you were a right arse?_ The thoughts swirled in her head as she came down to the bottom landing, but she was quickly shaken from it with the sound of Lavender's giggles. Quickly, the brunette ducked into an alcove and hid as the lovebirds passed by her. The blonde was clinging to Ronald's arm, pulling him down for a kiss every other step, and the boy seemed just as giddy. Hermione was surprised it didn't make her sick as she walked back to the common room.

-x-

 _November 9th, 1996_

Hermione had gotten used to the boy she thought she'd loved being in the arms of another witch. It seemed more like exposure therapy than actually coming to terms with it, but she had a desire to avoid being nauseous every time she saw the couple. They were sickening, all over each other like they needed each other to breathe. _If that's what Ron needs to be happy, I wouldn't have been a good fit for him anyway,_ she decided as she walked down the snowy path to the Three Broomsticks. Harry had been gathered by Dumbledore for another lesson that evening, and Ron had scurried off the moment they arrived in Hogsmeade, so she and Ginny made plans to meet for lunch and a butterbeer after some shopping. Hermione had spent her morning in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop looking for a new self-inking quill for the essays she had coming up over the next few months, then wandered over to the pub around noon.

She found a spot in the back corner of the pub, which was bustling with students, and ordered herself a pint of Simison Steaming Stout and waited for her friend to join her. Glancing around the room, she noted that whatever had the students down for Halloween had disappeared with a few Butterbeers and good conversation. They were loud and jovial, much like the Gryffindors had been after their Quidditch game, and the thought brought a smile to Hermione's face. She waited a while, finishing her pint and ordering another one with a plate of chips to munch on until Ginny arrived. She'd nearly finished her snack and was about halfway through her second drink when she began to feel the warm buzz of intoxication and decided she ought to slow down a bit unless she wanted to be drunk before lunch.

Students began to clear out slowly, a few staying behind to get a bit tipsier before venturing out to spend their money on sweets or jokes, but Ginny had yet to make her date with the brunette. Defeated, Hermione downed the last of her drink and ordered another along with a sandwich. Ginevra had stood her up, so she might as well get a bit steamed and have her lunch before heading back to Hogwarts. Madam Rosmerta was quick to fill the girl's order, inquiring after her friends which Hermione brushed off as them all having dates. The older witch seemed to pity her, which made the brunette even more eager to finish her drink as she ate her meal.

The world was a bit blurry by the time she finished her third pint, and so she left the money on the table and started to stand to allow a new grouping of people to take her spot. As she was tottering out, she noticed the white blond hair in the corner opposite her and suddenly had a brilliant idea. She threw herself into the chair opposite him and pointed at him accusingly. "Why did you warn me about Ronald?" She asked confidently. When he looked up at her unamused, her heart began to pound hard in her chest and she felt her cheeks heat up.

"You're drunk, Granger," he grumbled, taking a swig of a dark-brown fluid in a tumbler. He lifted up his cup and someone refilled it, which he quickly downed again. The witch frowned at him, as he eyed the glass in front of him. "Seems I am too," he noted, cocking his eyebrow and smirking at her. Something in the way his eyes twinkled with the comment made her laugh and she threw her head back in a fit of giggles. The witch held onto her stomach and then sat back up to look at him as she attempted to stifle her fit. He was still smirking, watching her carefully as he brought the drink to his lips again. "My inebriation is funny to you, huh Granger?" He asked, only making her laugh more. The witch was hit more by the sound of her laughter than whatever it was he was saying, but it was obviously contagious as he too began to chuckle. It was a loud pub, and she genuinely couldn't tell if people were staring at the pair, but she didn't care.

"I got stood up by my best friend," she confessed, covering her mouth with both hands shortly thereafter. His only response was to laugh, making it impossible for her to control her own giggles as she lost her control once more. "I got drunk at lunch, how stupid am I?" She asked, wiping her face as she caught her breath and rolled her eyes. Her last drink was beginning to hit her, but she could still clearly see the boy sitting in front of her. The boy who had called her awful names said dreadful things about her and her friends. The boy whose father was a loyal follower of the dark lord. _He's cute._ The thought made her eyes widen and he looked at her suspiciously.

"Doing alright, Granger?" He asked, but she shook her head. The witch examined the boy's jawline, how it was cut perfectly, and how his piercing blue eyes stared deep into hers. He was always impeccably dressed, with his hair perfectly coiffed. She looked at his lips, how they were pale but plump, and she began to focus on them. She was staring _at his lips_. _I wonder if they're soft,_ she thought, remembering back to her only kiss. Victor had been rough, demanding, and his lips were quite chapped. While it had been passionate, it hadn't been all too pleasant and as she gazed at the boy's lips in front of her, she had the overwhelming urge to kiss him. "Come with me," his lips parted as he made the demand. She nodded eagerly, standing from her chair and faltering a little as he left some money on the table. He took her hand, guiding her to the back of the pub and casting a disillusionment charm on her. "A room please," he asked when they came upon Madam Rosmerta. Hermione gasped, covering her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing as the witch handed him a key.

Draco led her up the stairs and threw open the door of the room he had been given, pulling her in. She didn't wait for the door to shut before throwing her arms around the boy and pulling him into a kiss. His lips were soft, _so soft_ , but forceful. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him, sucking on her lip and making her moan. She ran her fingers through his hair, messing it up a bit and gripped onto it as they desperately explored each others' mouths. He broke away from the kiss and she panted, releasing her hold on his hair and stared into his eyes. "You know who you're kissing, right, Granger?" He asked breathlessly.

"Of course, Malfoy. Do you?" He didn't respond, simply nodding before gripping her hair and pulling her in for another snog. Hermione pulled on his tie, releasing it from his neck and tossed it aside. Unbuttoning his blazer, he let it drop to the floor and she started working on his shirt. He reached around and tugged on her cardigan which she helped pull off. They broke away from the kiss when she finished the buttons on his top and exposed his chest. It was muscular, not unlike what she was expecting, but it had scars littered throughout it. Her gaze must have caused him a bit of self-consciousness because he closed the gap between them and kissed her again. Eagerly, she responded, helping herself out of her blouse and tugging off her jeans. Standing in her knickers, he cupped her face as she reached for his belt.

"Are you sure about this?" He breathed against her lips, not opening his eyes. She looked at his eyelids, his brows furrowed as he awaited her answer. Hermione nodded and kissed him again before he dropped his trousers and guided her to the wall. He nearly slammed her against it, careful not to hurt her by placing a hand behind her head. She moaned once more as he pressed himself against her. There was nothing between them but a few scraps of fabric and she wanted nothing more than to be rid of them. Running her fingernails up his side, he breathed against her mouth before reached down and gripping her bottom. She moaned again in encouragement and he squeezed the flesh once before pulling at the cotton on her hips. Hermione shimmied out of her pants, helping him out of his, and she immediately felt the heat between them rise. Daringly, she moved forward a bit, feeling the tip of his hardened cock against her thigh.

Everything slowed at that moment, and the world spun behind her closed eyes as he trailed his fingers down her back and unhooked her bra. Gingerly, he slid the straps from her shoulders, revealing her breasts and grazing her nipples with the back of his hand. A shiver ran down her body and she swallowed hard, opening her eyes to find him staring directly into them. "You are beautiful," he whispered, gently cupping her breasts and rubbing his thumbs over the hardened nubs. The witch exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as he closed the gap between them and sucked on the flesh of her neck.

A groan escaped her mouth as she blindly reached for his cock, taking the smooth member in her hand and rubbing it slowly. He let out a guttural moan against her skin as she did so and she let her head fall back against the wall. In one swift movement, he gripped her arse once more and hoisted her up on the wall. She wrapped her legs around his hips and felt his cock against her sex. Her breathing was unsteady as she looked down at him. Biting his lip, he watched her as if waiting for approval which came in the form of her grinding slowly against him. "Now?" He asked, and she nodded, leaning down to kiss him forcefully.

He reached between them and positioned himself at her entrance before lowering her onto him. The deliberate nature of the movement made her eyes roll back in her head as he slid his length into her. She felt his every inch glide into her before her arse hit his thighs. With that contact, he began thrusting into her, hard and fast, making her gasp at the pleasure and his strength. After a moment, he picked her up a bit more, spinning them around and laying her down on the bed. He pulled out from her and kneeled on the ground between her legs. "What ar- oh gods," she moaned when he sucked her clit into his mouth and began toying with it. She gripped the bed sheets when he slid his fingers into her channel and began pumping into her hard. Tension spread over her, and she could feel herself starting the climb to the peak she'd only ever reached on her own. Reaching forward, she gripped his hair to keep him there and began gasping, and moaning loudly. "Oh gods, Draco," she moaned, her head spinning with arousal. "I'm going to- to- oh gods," her undoing came and she felt her walls pulse around his fingers, the pleasure radiating through her as she bucked her hips.

"Take this," he commanded, making her open her eyes to a potion in front of her face. "Protection." Without question, she leaned up a bit and downed the purple fluid, climbing back to the head of the bed and waiting for him. He didn't waste time, crawling in between her legs and gripping them as he once again slid into her. He placed her legs on either side of his head and the angle he managed made her purr. With three slow thrusts, he picked up the pace and progressively started slamming into her once more. She was loud, primal, and she knew it but she didn't care. With every thrust came a wave of pleasure that drew her closer to a second coming to.

"Fuck me," she called out, digging her nails into his arms as he obeyed. Her eyes flashed open into his and with the powerful look of lust and torturous agony, she allowed herself to reach her peak and roll into another orgasm. Rocking her hips against his, he continued fucking her through her orgasm which made her squeal with pleasure. He gripped her hair and pulled it gently as he grunted, bucking his hips slower now before relaxing his grip on her.

He seemed to easily pass out after that, laying down beside her in all his glory, as she stared up at the ceiling of the Inn's room. Hermione glanced about, noting the antique looking dresser, a full-length mirror reflecting her blushing face back at her. She looked to the door and noted the room number and sighed. _I lost my virginity to Draco sodding Malfoy in room 13 of the Three Broomsticks Inn and Pub._ She watched the boy breathing evenly from her periphery and sat up slowly. _Oh, gods._


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry that this took forever to post. I wrote it all out and then FF promptly deleted it and I was too frustrated with that to rewrite it so I took a break from it.**

 **Chapter 3. Hot Cocoa**

 _November 9_ _th_ _, 1996 continued_

She had sat in the bed, staring up at the ceiling and panicking for a solid ten minutes before she decided it might be best to get dressed and leave before the boy woke up. So, the witch oozed out of the bed and grabbed her knickers, quietly getting into them. She re-hooked her bra and threw on her cardigan and blouse after shimmying into her jeans. With one short glance to the boy sleeping in the bed, Hermione tip-toed out of the room and into the hallway, shutting the door behind her as quietly as possible. She released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding before turning and slamming head-on into someone tall and firm. An awful noise of surprise left her mouth and she jumped back a bit. Sheepishly, she glanced up to see Theodore Nott standing high above her head, glaring down into her. "Watch where you're going," he hissed, rolling his eyes and pushing past her.

The witch didn't bother watching to see where he went, instead she scattered off, rushing down the stairs and out of the pub as quickly as she could without drawing attention. Once out into the cold air, she exhaled, hugging herself and looking around. _Books, that's what I need. Books,_ she mused, heading off in the direction of the bookshop closest to the Three Broomsticks.

Before she could push open the shop door, she heard her name being called from behind her. "Hermione! Wait up!" She turned around to see Ginny running towards her with a sauntering Dean following behind. The brunette waited until her friend caught up before entering into the bookstore, Ginny huffing as she followed her in. "Sorry I was late for lunch, Dean and I-er- we," she stammered, looking back at the bloke who was looking around at nothing in particular. "Never mind, we got side-tracked. We went to find you but you weren't there, then we see you practically running out! Where were you?" The ginger asked finally.

"I just popped in to use the loo then headed back out to come here, sorry I didn't see you when I came back in," Hermione lied, hoping her friend wouldn't question it. The Weasley girl sighed and shrugged, reaching out and slinging her arm around the brunette's shoulders, guiding her further into the shop. Hermione looked behind her to see Dean wonder off towards another shop, greeted by some other Gryffindors.

"Then let us shop for books together!" Ginny suggested contently, motioning to the stacks of books and fully-stocked shelves. The view never ceased to delight the witch, wanting to be buried in books at all times. "So," the red-head started, much to Hermione's dismay. Her friend had been acting strange and she knew that she was about to hear why. "Dean and I finally did _it_ ," she finally confessed.

Hermione feigned ignorance, picking up a fiction novel and eyeing it carefully. "Did what?" She retorted, knowing exactly what it was the girl was referring to, having just _done it_ for the first time herself. Had it been anyone else, the brunette was sure she would have been just as giddy to share with her friend the excitement of losing her virginity, but instead, she was bottling it up and hoping she might forget it.

" _You know,_ " Ginny insisted through gritted teeth. The older witch could see her friend fiddling with the book in front of her from her periphery, but she waited for the confession to come directly from the other girl's lips. "We... _shagged_ ," she whispered before clamping her hand over her mouth as though she'd just uttered an unforgivable by accident. A giggle sputtered out from between the girl's fingers.

Hermione took it as her cue to act shocked and spun to face her friend. "Ginny!" She gasped, faking a look of surprise that she hoped was believable. Her friend was bright red but smiling beneath her palm. "Was it good?" The older witch probed, leaning in to seem interested. The ginger nodded eagerly, glancing about and biting her lip before she too leaned in.

"You would not _believe_ the size of that boy's cock," she proclaimed giddily. Hermione briefly thought back to her encounter with Draco and tried to remember the size of his member. "What?" Ginny questioned, her face falling. Hermione then realized she'd likely look pensive at the moment and quickly painted a smile over her expression.

"Nothing, just- nothing." _Oh gods, I'm an awful liar,_ she chided herself internally, knowing she would be subjected to her own line of questioning. If Ginerva Weasley excelled at anything it was Quidditch and reading people, namely Hermione Granger.

"You were thinking about someone else's cock weren't you!" The ginger accused, taking the brunette aback. _That word,_ she mused, immediately remembering the feeling of Draco slamming into her. A shiver shot down her spine and she chewed on the inside of her lip.

"No, I wasn't!" She protested to no avail.

"Yes, you were! I could tell by the look! You were thinking if your crush has a big cock too," Ginny deduced, taking a step closer to her friend which made Hermione step back and nearly slam into a bookshelf. "Well tell me! Who is it?" She demanded. Hermione, feeling her cheeks flush with heat as she tried to come up with any name of than Draco sodding Malfoy.

"Neville!" She finally answered, clapping her hand over her mouth this time and staring wide-eyed at her friend. Ginny's face contorted as she debated the answer she'd been given.

"Neville?" She echoed in a questioning tone. "He's with Luna isn't he?" Hermione's stomach churned as she was caught in a lie and panicked over what to do next. _Do I double down or eject? Who else could I possibly have a crush on that she would believe? Gods, Hermione, think! Who's in your year? A year above us?_

"No, you're right, ugh. It's so embarrassing Gin, don't make me say it," Hermione begged, hoping to buy time as she wracked her brain for any name.

"If not Neville then who?" Ginny prodded and Hermione glanced to her left to see Fred Weasley stroll through the door, quickly followed by his twin brother. The brunette gripped her friend's arm and pulled her down to hide behind a stack of books.

"It's Fred. I have a crush on Fred," she lied once more.

"My brother, Fred?" Hermione nodded at the question, watching her friends expression for any sort of indication of belief. It came in the form of a laugh and Hermione winced. "He's had a crush on you for the longest time, this will just make his day." Ginny moved to stand but Hermione tugged her back down again. _Fucking hell._

"No! He can't know!" Hermione shot back, hoping to stop her. She knew, however, that nothing would stop the ginger once she had a bee in her bonnet and a match to be made. "It's embarrassing, Gin! He's Ron's older brother and well-"

"Well, what?" Ginny interrupted. "Ron's dating Lavender now! It's the perfect opportunity!" The ginger encouraged. "We could be sisters!" _As far as anyone is concerned, we already_ are _sisters,_ Hermione thought grimly. The girl had always been at her side through her trials, even when it came to her horribly misplaced crush on the girl's brother. They _had_ been like sisters, until Ginny became a bit too involved with Dean and seemed to drop off the edge of the world. _Would that have happened to me if I had a boyfriend?_

"He's my best friend," Hermione tried to argue, looking down at her hand as she fiddled with the edging of a novel.

"Who? Fred?" Ginny teased, but Hermione wasn't having it.

"Ron!" She corrected in a low voice, her teeth clenched. The brunette glared at her friend who only sent her a playful smirk in return. _This is going to go poorly,_ she prophesized as she felt Ginny getting closer to breaking off from her grasp to tell Fred.

" _So?_ " The ginger girl probed. _I've let this go way too far,_ Hermione reasoned, looking up at the ceiling before returning her glare to her friend.

"So! He'd kill me!" The older witch proclaimed.

"He'll get over it," Ginny stood, tearing her arm away and leaping out of Hermione's range before she could grab at her again. "Oh, _Freddie_!" She called in a sing-song-y voice as she approached her brother. _Oh, bloody fuck._ The brunette looked around in a panic, hoping for an exit she could manage. Except, just as she stood up, she nearly knocked over the tall, gangly man she'd come to think of as more of a brother than anything else.

"Fred! Hi!" Hermione greeted in a falsetto befitting her embarrassment. He smiled his regular cheeky grin and leaned against one of the shelves. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she prayed for any sort of out or interruption.

"I hear you have _feelings_ for me, is that so?" He questioned, in the teasing way he always did. Hermione gulped down a chunk of air and stepped back, entwining her hands behind her back. The boy rolled his eyes at her delayed response. "I'll save you the trouble, love. You just put my name out there so that Ginny would stop hounding you about who it is you're _actually_ in love with. I understand. I did the very same to you. Except Ginny didn't come prancing over to you then, so I'd say you got the shit end of the deal." Hermione's eyes widened at the response. _Is he really rejecting me?_ _And I don't even like him?_ "See, Angelica and I had just broken up and I was just kind of... Floundering. Ginny was determined to get me to date someone so I told her that I had feelings for a witch I knew I couldn't have, since our younger brother was in love with her. Now that he's all over Lav Lav, that made it all okay to her. So how about we go on a date to ease her mind, eh?" _What's happening._

"Ease her mind?" Hermione repeated, at a loss for words.

"Yeah, she'll think that I've finally gotten out there again and you can say it just wasn't the same as your fantasy," he winked at her in such a way that made her stomach flutter. He'd done this to her before, made her a mess of butterflies, when the twins sat around her before they stupidly placed their names in the Goblet of Fire. Back then, they'd teased her and Fred gave her a look that screamed for her approval that she wouldn't give to him. There was something about his wild nature that intrigued her, but she had thought it through logically and deemed neither boy suitable for her. _And now I'm going on a date with one of them? This is a disaster waiting to happen,_ she mused.

"Alright, if you think that will make her back off me. But Ron must _never know_ ," she emphasized, narrowing her eyes hoping to convey her message. He leaned back a touch and grinned.

"You've still got a few hours left in Hogsmeade and I can take as many breaks as I want, given I am the _owner_ ," he stood a bit straighter at the comment, rolling his shoulders in a proud way that made her crack a grin. "How about a drink?" He offered and her thoughts immediately flashed to her drinks before Draco.

"How about Hot Cocoa and a walkabout in the snow? It's beautiful out there, bit nippy, but I think we'll manage," she retorted, linking her arm with his and rushing out of the bookshop. She looked back over her shoulder to see Ginny giving her a thumbs up as the girl danced a bit in her spot. _Good gods, what am I doing?_

"So, who _is_ this boy you're _actually_ in love with?" Fred questioned as they walked down the main road, hot beverages in hand. She rolled her eyes and felt her stomach churn at the idea of being _in love_ with Draco sodding Malfoy.

"It's not _love_ , it's barely anything. Just a _stupid_ crush is all," she replied, taking a sip of her drink. It pricked a bit at her lip, but she took down the hot liquid anyway, hoping it would burn off her nerve endings enough to allow her to enjoy it while it was still warm. They continued their walk in silence after that, which Hermione was beyond pleased about. There was something nice, however, about being able to walk next to someone in silence and not feel an awkward fog bogging it down. It was easy to be with Fred, her friend from when she was a child. The twins had always been her particular opposing forces, being a stickler for rules and them determined to break every rule in the book.

Fred was the first to interrupt the silence when they reached the edge of the town, overlooking the shrieking shack. "Well, love, I hope that whatever it is that had you inside your head the whole way here makes you happy," he wished. "You're a brilliant witch and you deserve the best, which was _never_ our brother. He tries, but you need someone to challenge you, with a bit more wit than he can offer." Hermione laughed at this, leaning against the snow-covered pole.

"You're quite right, Fred Weasley, thank you," she joked, looking off as snow began to fall around them. There was a pause as she stared. "It's beautiful in the winter time," she mused aloud with a long exhale. The puff of air that escaped her mouth was visible against the white landscape and she smiled mindlessly.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed, his voice equally distant.

"Why couldn't it have been you?" A familiar voice shouted from their left. Hermione jumped back at the sudden intrusion to their quiet, only to be caught by Fred with his hands on both her shoulders. Out of the woods came a pair, arguing loudly. Draco, his white hair nearly blending in with the surroundings, had his wand pointed at Theodore Nott who appeared less than concerned about the situation.

"Because my father didn't fuck up a mission," he taunted back. Fred tugged on her, pulling her away from them, but she felt fixed in place as she watched the scene unfold. Draco whispered a hex that sent Theo flying back and into the barbed wire fencing.

"What the bloody fuck Malfoy," Theo cursed, pushing himself off the wiring and grabbing his wand in his bloodied hand. "It is _not_ my fault that you were selected to do this. It is _not_ my fault that you are a muggle-loving fuck like that old git," Theo spat back, approaching Draco menacingly with his own wand poised at the blond's throat.

Fred guided her to a tree to hide behind and mumbled a quick notice-me-not on the two as Hermione attempted to focus on their voices, which had become more distant. Her view was obscured too, by the change in angle and smattering of trees in her way, but she could still make-out Draco's shaking form. "My father was an idiot who got himself mixed up with an evil wizard because he was power hungry. Just because we are their children does not make us like them," he protested, making Hermione's head spin. _Is Draco Malfoy seriously standing up against the Death Eater's mission to another Death Eater spawn?_ It was almost as if it were a dream. The boy she had unlocked feelings before practically fighting for her honour without knowing she was nearby. _Oh gods, this won't be good for my heart._ "I can't do this. Why wasn't it you?" He asked again, his voice cracking as though he'd been crying, but Hermione couldn't be sure.

"Come on, before they find out we're here," Fred whispered, taking her hand and pulling her into the forest. She followed, reluctantly, as the two receded into the forest.

 _November 11th, 1996_

Sitting in class, Hermione was anxiously playing with the sleaves of her Gryffindor cardigan, waiting for her potion's lecture to start. Harry was sat next to her, seemingly lost in his own mind, but Hermione didn't have the nerve to pry. He'd been awful touchy as of late, running off every weekend for training with Dumbledore or one mission or another. Ron had always been the one to peek in and ask what it was going on in his head, but Hermione didn't have the confidence to poke. Thankfully for her, Slughorn sauntered into the room and glanced about his pupils in the cheerful way he always did for their practical lessons.

"Good morning students, I have a wonderful brew for you all to undertake today: _Elixer to Induce Euphoria_ ," he announced. "It helps bring us up when we're feeling down, which is particularly useful in these colder months, wouldn't you say? Hm, Granger?" Hermione's eyes shot up at her name and she smiled, nodding emphatically. He beamed back at her before starting on an anecdote from his childhood and how he would have wanted to know how to brew the potions to help him through some harder times.

The brunette tried to peel her gaze away from the Slytherin table, but what having immense difficulty with it. He was just standing there, with Pansy Parkinson, ignoring her. _How can he be ignoring me?_ _He saw me naked for Merlin's sake._ Ever since their particular encounter, she had been rather stuck in her own mind over the whole thing. Then with seeing him fighting Theodore for believing whatever lies they were being fed by their parents, it was getting rather heavy in her chest. She didn't _love_ him, she knew that, but what if it was a powerful infatuation? What if he had slipped her a love potion? She chewed on her lip and tried to reason with herself. _He's just a boy who has taunted you your entire educational career. You had one bout of rather pleasant but drunken intercourse, but it was nothing more than that._

"Please send one of your partners up to retrieve the ingredients while the other readies the cauldron," Slughorn announced after he refinished regaling his tale. "It requires two people to make a potion this _exhilarating,_ " he taunted with a wiggle of his brow before grinning. No students laughed at his joke so he waved his hand over his head and waddled back to his desk. "Begin, begin, the potion is on page six hundred and three." Hermione turned to Harry who was already flipping through his copy of the textbook that irked Hermione every time she saw it. With a sigh, the witch approached the shelves of ingredients, leaving Harry to prepare their cauldron.

It wasn't long before Hermione's hair was wild and standing on edge as she argued with Harry through every step of the process. She didn't win many and was frequently urged to continue stirring as he prepared the ingredients to add, which was only building on her frustration. On top of that, she had caught herself staring at Draco three times since she was exiled to stirring duties and not once had she caught _him_ staring at her. _Why isn't he looking at me? What has him all deep in thought when I'm right here? Was it bad? Was I bad? How does someone know if they're bad in bed? Well, probably when the person they slept with won't even look at them in class- Oh shit I'm staring again._ The witch shook herself from her thoughts and looked back down at the potion which was slowly turning the appropriate yellow colour they were expecting.

"Well done Potter! Miss Granger, you've done a wonderful job stirring," Slughorn praised, but it only made her hair stick further on edge. _I do more than just bloody stir potions, prat,_ she spat internally, feeling herself begin to fume.

When Professor Slughorn was out of earshot, she turned to her friend and seethed. "Are you happy, Harry? Getting praise for copying the work of some _Half-Blood Prince_ who obviously spent far too much experimenting past the bounds of his magical education!" Her voice was high and horse and elicited a sideways glance from a few other Gryffindors. Harry just shook his head and added the final bit of wormwood. She clenched her jaw and stirred the allotted six times anti-clockwise as she glowered at her friend.

"Maybe you ought to take a taste test of this brew after we're done, 'mione," Harry muttered under his breath but the witch caught every word. _Six,_ she screamed inside her head before slamming her stir stick on the desk and storming over to their professor.

"Harry will be bottling our brew, may I please be excused from class?" She asked, stomping her foot on the ground, startling the older man. He looked up at her and smiled meekly.

"Of course, Miss Granger, see you next week." Hermione gave him a curt nod before spinning on her heel and rushing out of the classroom. When she was out of earshot, she let out a loud grunt and began muttering curses to herself as she walked up to her next class. There were about fifteen minutes before she would have to be sat down in her spot in Arithmancy, but there was nothing more she was looking forward to than having a class without Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived.

"Saint Potter got you down, Granger?" A taunting voice came from behind her and she spun around to see Malfoy approaching her with his thumb tucked under his bag strap in a cocky stance. He looked at her with a sneer that would have normally angered her, but at that moment, it made her want to leap into his arms and snog him profusely.

"Not now, Malfoy," she managed, turning away from him and continuing her journey towards Arithmancy. She could hear him walking behind her, his footsteps echoing in the hall, but he made no effort to hurry to her side and match her stride. _That's it? That's all he's going to say to me? He's going to taunt me about my best friend and then walk far enough behind me that we can't even talk? Gods I want to kiss him... HERMIONE!_ Her mind was swirling between her logical and emotional side. The tension that she was carrying on her shoulders wanted nothing more than to be released with a bite of Malfoy, but she knew that it would just lead her to a horrible emotional spiral over the boy. He was not easy to crush on. He wasn't Ron or Fred or Krum. He was the enemy. He could quite literally be the strongest connection to Voldemort this school had.

She found a seat in her class, with no one around her, and pulled out some parchment and her quill. Out of her periphery, she saw Draco sit down in a desk in the opposite side of the room. He didn't look at her, just placed his over-size satchel on the wood in front of him and leaned against the wall to his right side. His eyes were fixed on the front of the class where Professor Vector sat marking some papers. _Is he staring at her? She's much older than him, and not really that pretty- gods Hermione, don't go dragging other people down just because you're insecure. She's his teacher, he couldn't even be with her if he wanted to be. But what if she's just a forbidden fruit?_ I'm _a forbidden fruit. A muggleborn witch, a friend of Harry Potter, the enemy of his father's leader. Is that why we slept together? To get back at his parents? But then again, he did actively fight Nott on his beliefs. And what on earth were they fighting about in the first place?_

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by a body sitting down next to her. She shrunk into herself and stopped herself from gazing at the blond any further. _Why do I keep staring at him?_

* * *

 **I promise this isn't a Fremione fic. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the wait there, busy life!**

 **Chapter 4. Courage**

 _November 13th, 1996_

She wasn't sure what it was about having classes with the boy, but something about it gave her the strangest urge to sit with him. He'd made no effort to speak with her since last Monday when he'd commented on her anger towards Harry. The two Gryffindors had since made up and where he'd promised to hand over the book. She knew all he'd done was put a new cover over it to make it _seem_ new, but the effort to hide it from her was good enough. Frankly, she'd given up trying to harass the boy into being a good student and had instead opted to focus her own studies to beat him out in that way. He may have a manual on how to be better than her at Potions, but she was the brightest witch of her age and she would have no trouble proving it elsewhere.

In regards to Draco, however, she had invested far too much headspace into him. So now, she walked into the classroom of their History of Magic lesson and stood a bit straighter. She forced confidence into herself, her stance, and took a stride towards where the blond was sitting. Thankfully, she'd been a bit late so there was limited seating in the class so it wasn't completely awkward for her to sit next to him. However, when she did, he noticeably flinched and eyed her sceptically.

 _What kind of Gryffindor are you?_ She berated herself grinding her teeth as she pulled out her textbook and some parchment. "Why are you sitting here, Granger?" Draco questioned in a low voice. His tone was more annoyed than cocky as she had half imagined it would be. She'd played the scenario out in her head countless times, gone through the dialogue. What would he say and how she would reply. She'd formulated many retorts and responses, but at that moment she completely blanked. Any preparation washed away completely. Her face grew red and her palms became clammy. _Oh gods,_ she began to panic and looked at him cautiously.

"Nowhere else to sit?" She responded, her voice hooking up at the end as though it were a question. He glanced past her to survey the room and shook his head before returning to his stance towards the front. She followed suit and noticed a rather empty seat beside a Hufflepuff she knew from one of Herbology lessons. _What an idiot,_ the witch hissed internally, squeezing her eyes shut and breathing deeply. Nothing more was spoken until the professor strode into the room.

His voice was quiet and boring, and Professor Binns droned through his lecture making most fall asleep. If Hermione hadn't been acutely aware of just how close she was sitting to Draco Malfoy throughout the entire length of the class, she too would have likely gotten a little listless. She was partially shocked he himself didn't fall asleep to the sound of his own voice. Professor Binns stood up a bit straighter and turned around to face the class as he began wrapping up his lecture. When he noticed the sea of napping students, he spoke just a bit louder to wake them up or grab their attention.

"The essay on the Goblin Rebellions is due next weekend. You will be grouped into pairs for peer editing. The person you're sitting with is that partner. Congratulations. Class dismissed." There wasn't much arguing but Hermione's eyes widened as she slowly turned to face the blond.

"Congratulations my arse," Malfoy spat as he stood. "Well, I guess you're stuck with me now Granger. Meet on Friday to trade papers?" She nodded and he pushed past her and rushed out the door. Part of her wanted to giggle with joy, but she was mostly just annoyed. Annoyed that the professor hadn't taught them anything new since fourth year and _livid_ that she was partnered with Malfoy because she was stupid enough to take up the seat next to his. Had it been any other topic, one that she found interesting, she may have allowed herself to dwell more on the exciting side of having her crush as her partner, but the topic was one she'd beaten to death and no longer found any interest in. Her essay would not be good enough for the eyes of Draco sodding Malfoy.

-x-

 _November 15th, 1996_

"Face it, Granger, you need me," Draco taunted her, sitting back in his chair with his arms raised and his hands laced behind his head. "You need me to pass this sodding class, don't deny it." She rolled her eyes and picked up his essay from the desk. A breath caught in her throat as she noted the way his lip twitched with a smirk that sent shiver coursing through her body every time.

"I do _not_ need you, Malfoy," she spat back. He chuckled menacingly and she began to fume, clenching her jaw and working hard not to lose her temper over the boy's obvious attempts to jar her. "I don't!" She insisted once more. With a deep breath, she attempted to centre herself and turned to walk away, hoping to avoid any more provocation from the wizard. Before she could make it very far, though, he stood, and the sound of his chair scraping against the library floor made her pause.

"Seriously Granger, you need me. I can tell," he repeated in a way that dealt a bit of seriousness. The taunt normally lacing his words was absent and there was something pulling her back towards him and it wasn't just that his voice closer to her than she would have liked. Spinning to face him, her face softened, but he was far closer to her than she had estimated and it was enough to startle her, sending her back. Righting herself, the witch glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest, standing a bit taller.

"I need you like I need water in my lungs, Draco Malfoy," she hissed through gritted teeth before spinning once more on her heel and moving to get away. In an act that made her audibly gasp, he caught her wrist and pulled her back to him. In the flurry, she didn't have time to be shocked as he enveloped her in his arms and kissed her passionately. It took a moment before she melted into it, keeping her hand between them and holding onto his jumper delicately as his tongue slid against her lips.

"Jesus Christ Granger, you really are an insufferable know-it-all," he groaned against her lips before kissing her again. His words sent her heart into a frenzy and she began feverishly kissing him back. Her arms travelled from his front to draped around his neck and pulling him as close to her as she could possibly manage. Dropping his parchment down his back as she worked her fingers up through his hair, he guided her towards a wall and pressed her against it, taking the breath out of her momentarily.

"Oh _Gods_ ," she moaned, instinctively pressing her hips to his and biting his lip playfully. The fuzz of their passion faded in an instant and she pushed away from him, her eyes wide. "Not in the library," the witch hissed, glancing about to see if anyone was nearby. There weren't any students that she could see, but she could _sense_ Madam Pince lurking around just waiting to take away her restricted section access.

"Oh come on, Granger, where's that Gryffindor courage?" The challenge sent a shiver up her spine that made her lock eyes with him and grip his wrist firmly. Without another word, she gathered their work up with a flick of her wand and packed it away nicely in her bag before dragging him out into the hall. This time _she_ cast the disillusionment charm on the boy as she guided him to the 7th-floor corridor and waited outside the Room of Requirements. "Granger n-" He was interrupted by the door presenting itself and her pulling him in, then cancelling her charm on the boy. A roaring fire and a large bed in the middle of the room greeting them.

"Just not in the library," she reiterated, turning to face him as she felt her heart begin racing in her chest. She had just led her enemy up to the Room of Requirements for sex. The room presented a bed to them, for sex. She would be having sex with Draco Malfoy _again,_ in her _school_. All the bravery he had instilled in her from his comment began melting away and she felt small under his gaze.

"But the library would have been _fun_ , the risk is where your _bravery_ comes in," he said in a seductive tone, approaching her slowly. Hermione wanted to say something witty in return, but anything she could think of sounded too _cowardly_ in her head so she just stood there, silent. Folding her arms over her chest, the witch tried not to make eye contact, shifting her gaze around the room. Before she could even think he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her in, planting his lips on hers and tugging at her cardigan. "Come on, Granger, show me why you're in that House," he breathed against her lips and she immediately ran her fingers through his hair and gave it a gentle tug, pressing herself to him before running her fingers between the two of them to undo the buttons of his shirt. It fell from his shoulders onto the ground and he made quick work of her blouse and skirt, leaving her in nothing but her knickers. It wasn't cold but she felt her nipples harden against the fabric of her brassiere as he pressed his chest into her. "I have a better idea," he whispered, taking her hand and entwining their fingers before leading her out of the room.

 _Oh, my gods what on earth is he doing?_ She tugged back, not wanting to leave the room but he threw open the door and stepped out, topless, into the deserted hallway. "Come on, Granger, I have the perfect place. Quiet but risky, what do you say?" Most of her wanted to say no, to stay in her safety, but a part of her that was taking in the curves of his muscles and the mischief in his eyes _screamed_ at her to say yes. So she did, stepping out, in her knickers, and taking his hand once more. She stood a lot closer to him as he led her up to the Astronomy tower and through a small door she hadn't known was there. It led out to a small landing that could very well kill someone if they weren't careful but there was enough of a ledge that he pressed her against the door they'd come through and kissed a trail down her neck.

"Oh gods," she groaned as he nipped at her flesh, nearly ripping her pants from her hips, dragging his lips down and closer to her sex. She stepped her legs a bit further apart to allow him access as he dove into her folds, sucking on her nub as he gripped her bottom and held them steady. Reaching behind her back, she unclasped her own bra and dropped it to the ground where her pants were and shivered as her nipples met the crisp air. She gasped as a freezing blast of cold wind slammed against her chest and sent her nerves buzzing. "Shite it's cold, Draco." Her comment only made him purr into her, sending her eyes rolling back in her head as she leaned against the cold door and gripping onto his hair tightly.

She felt her muscles tense at every sensation he provided her, losing herself in the waves as the moved through her so much so she began leaning forward., pressing herself more into his face, her eyes shut tight. In a split second, the witch lost balance and began to fall forward, her eyes flashing open as she drew closer to the sky in front of her. Before a scream could leave her lips, she felt magic bind her and whip her back onto her footing. "Merlin's beard, Granger, do you have a death wish?" Draco asked breathlessly, pressing his form to hers as to ensure that she was indeed standing and secure on the landing. The adrenaline rushed through her veins and a laugh escaped her lips.

"I almost died," she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, the distinct throbbing of her clit alerting her to the job not finished. The brunette wrapped her arms once more around the boy's neck and slowly lowered them to the ground, laying back slowly on the cold ground. He shook his head and repositioned himself between her legs.

"Not the kind of courage I was talking about, Granger," he teased. Before she could respond, he captured her clit between his teeth delicately then resumed his activities. His tongue swirled around the nub as he sucked at it, his fingers sliding in and out of her channel. The witch arched her back, the solid ground allowing her to dissolve completely into her pleasure, the outdoors giving her the freedom to moan and cry out at the top of her lungs as she relished in every pleasure.

Her orgasm came on suddenly, wracking her body and sending her into a fit of shakes as her hips bucked against his face. She gripped her own breasts, kneading them in her hands as she rode out the waves. The let out a final moan and shiver as she came down from her high, opening her eyes to see Draco leering over her. Entwining her fingers in his hair, she pulled him onto her and kissed him passionately, caught up in the confidence of their encounter. Carefully, she rolled out from under him and steadied herself on top of him, straddling his form. Finding his cock with her hand and positioning it at her entrance, she slid onto it. Moaning loudly, the witch let her head fall back with the pleasure that came from the intrusion.

There was something about the control of it all that let her easily build her orgasm once more as she rode him, grinding against him and pumping him in and out of her as she gripping his shoulders for stability. "Oh gods, Draco, I'm going to-" she gasped her last word, sending her over the edge and feeling herself throb around his shaft. In her haze, she barely heard him groan beneath her and only noted he had likely finished as well from how hard he gripped her arse and held her down on him. Catching her breath, she leaned forward, Malfoy keeping her hips planted firmly where they were, and kissed him softly. There was something tender about the way he kissed her, softly and lovingly that slowly drew her back into a reverie, only to be ripped from it as he nearly threw her from his form.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," he repeated, scampering to get up from the ground. He was just as naked as she was as they stood opposite one another. Stressed, he blond pushed back his hair and looking down at the ground with wide eyes, continuing to repeat the curse.

"What?" The witch asked, raising her voice over his.

"I forgot the potion," he grumbled, starting a pace, with his hands pulling at his messed-up hair. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back to her before he got too close to the edge and steadied him in front of her.

"That's bad, yes, but I can just ask-" she stopped herself, wondering who it was exactly that she _could_ ask for an emergency contraceptive. The witch had no clue how Draco had come upon the contraceptive the first time, or why he had it ready to go at a moments notice.

"I had some, in my bag, which is in the Room of Requirements, but we're up here and you're," he motioned to her form, pausing a bit to take it in, making her suddenly very self-conscious. "Stunningly beautiful," he whispered as if he'd gotten lost in his own mind. "But that's not the point, this was a terrible idea," he conceded, shaking his head and wiping his face forcefully with both hands.

"Well that's what I said, but it's too late to reconsider that now, isn't it," she said, feeling the panic begin to rise in her stomach. "Seriously, where did you get the potions from?" Hermione questioned, wrapping her arms around her torso and stepped back. Her arse brushed against the stone of the castle and she winced, moving away from it.

"I just- well, my father. I have a few and I just- it's hard to explain," he said, his tone getting more on edge. They were feeding off each other's anxiety and Hermione let out a deep breath as she noticed it.

"It's fine, it'll all be fine. I'll go to Madam Pomfrey and just... Ask for it on behalf of a friend," Hermione announced with a shrug. "She'll assume it's for someone else and I won't have to tell anyone that _I_ had sex, or that it was you and I that had sex. It'll be fine," she reasoned aloud, more for herself than him. Before she could look up, he was in front of her and tilted her chin up to kiss him. The brunette sucked in a breath through her nose and held his arms, feeling him press his naked form to hers.

"Gods, you're a brilliant bloody witch," he hissed against her lips, reaching around her and grabbing her arse.

-x-

 _November 16th, 1996_

She had been pacing outside of the infirmary for the past ten minutes, but it felt like an hour as she attempted to convince herself to go in and ask for the solution. Biting the corners of her nails, she looked at the floor as she walked back and forth, repeating in her head _use that Gryffindor courage Draco's so sure you have,_ but it wasn't helping. It was only giving her more time to procrastinate. It wasn't that she didn't want the solution, there was no way she was prepared to have a child while she was in school, let alone while there was a bloody war on the horizon. And she was certainly not going to be having it with Draco sodding Malfoy whom she had come to convince herself was surely only having sex with her because she was willing and _stunningly beautiful_ as he so eloquently worded staring at her bare naked form. No, she _needed_ the potion.

With that final thought, she forced herself to turn and face the door, pushing it open and entering the wing. There were four patients in beds that all turned to face her at her entrance, and she felt her face burn up at their gaze. _Oh gods,_ she groaned internally, offering a weak smile to those she made eye contact with as she stepped into the room a bit more.

Madam Pomfrey stepped out from behind a bed shield and looked her up and down before frowning at her. "Oh Miss Granger, you're not checking in, right? I have many patients that already need attending as it is and I'm rather busy-" The older witch was puttering around to another patient as she spoke, not paying much attention to Hermione.

"No, I just need a potion," the young witch interrupted, hoping to speed things along a little.

"A potion?" The mediwitch repeated, peeking back at her.

"Could I-" Hermione started before lowering her voice. "Could I speak with you a bit more privately?" She asked, furrowing her brows in hopes her expression might help communicate the seriousness of her desire to keep things confidential. The witch sighed, walking over to her and casting a muffliato around them.

"Be quick about it, Miss Granger, I can't leave the patients unattended for long, they have school to get back to," she hurried, taking up more time that, Hermione reasoned, she could be using to ask for what she'd come for.

"Well, you know when- Well you see my friend, she-"

"Spit it out, Miss Granger!" The mediwitch interrupted her once more.

"I need an emergency contraceptive potion!" Hermione nearly barked at the witch, her eye flying open wider at her haste. "For my friend," she added quickly and purposefully more sweetly.

"There is no sexual intercourse allowed on school grounds, Miss Granger, you know that," Madam Pomfrey warned, looking her up and down.

"Of course, I know. I would never-" _I did._ "It was- well it was at Hogsmeade and she didn't have protection and well... she _really_ doesn't want to be pregnant. I warned her against the activity, of course, but she didn't take my advice."

"You tell Miss Weasley that if she needs another potion, she'll have to come and get it herself." The assumption took Hermione aback, but she quickly righted herself and nodded.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey, I'll tell her," Hermione said in a strangled voice. The older witch shook her head and cancelled the charm around them before walking off in the direction of a very large, towering cabinet which she whispered a spell to open. After sorting through a few bottles, she captured a purple one and brought it over to Hermione, placing it in her hands and clasping her own over Hermione's.

"Tell her to be more careful, this really isn't the time for children, Miss Granger," the mediwitch repeated. Hermione simply nodded, spinning on her heel and departing the infirmary as quickly as she could without drawing suspicion. The moment she was outside the room, she downed the potion and felt her head swoon a bit before she gathered her bearings.

"Time for dinner, I suppose," she whispered to herself, setting off in the direction of the hall. As she rounded the corner, however, the world went fuzzy and she toppled over, black enveloping her sight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for your patience, I've just moved into my new place and finished my mutual funds license. It's been a busy few weeks but I'm settled now so I got to spend an entire Sunday writing my little heart out! Hope this was worth the wait on that cliffhanger.**

 **Chapter 5. Caring Friends**

 _November 17th, 1996_

 _Draco caressed her cheek, his eyes twinkling as he looked into hers. His lips twisted into a smile that melted her heart even more and she pressed herself into him, resting her chin on his shoulder. The boy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, the sensation of warmth rushing over her, then it concentrated down into her palm. She hissed, glancing down at it to see he was gripping it tightly. Her hand was glowing red and seemed to be on the edge of bursting into flames. Betrayed, she shifted her gaze back to his eyes and his kind smile had warped into a devious grin and she tore apart from him._

Panting, Hermione shot up from her bed and pried her eyes open to glance around the oddly bright room. "Miss Granger?" The thick voice of the mediwitch pushed through the fog as Hermione tugged her hand away from someone's grasp. Ron was at her side and stumbled back at her forceful retreat, Harry steadying him when he bumped into their friend.

"You alright, 'mione?" Ron asked, looking at her with his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Hermione glanced around the room, taking in the other beds and the meditwitch at her side, and swallowed hard.

"Why am I in the hospital wing?" She asked, her voice hoarse as though she'd been screaming for hours. Madame Pomfrey handed her a glass of water and she took a sip as the older witch answered.

"You seem to be allergic to Miss Weasley's emergency contraceptive," Madame Pomfrey said in a hushed tone so that the boys wouldn't overhear. The world spun with embarrassment and she wanted to throw up. She managed to contain the sick and swallowed another gulp of her drink.

"Oh," was all that Hermione could manage as she sunk into her sheets.

"You can let your friend rest, she should be right as rain by the end of the day. You'll have her back in your common room by the time you're all readying for bed," Poppy encouraged, addressing the boys who stared at her blankly. "Shoo! Go on now! I have work to do." Ron and Harry straightened at her command and waved goodbye to their friend as they left the hospital wing. Avoiding the witch's gaze, Hermione sunk further into her cot and placed her cup on the side table next to her head. "Well Miss Granger, you ought to be more truthful with me next time. I knew Miss Weasley wasn't allergic because the last time she sought out that _particular_ potion, I did _tests!_ I had no such time with you. I performed a couple of spells that manage the equivalent, so no need to worry about that," Poppy's reassurance sent another wave of emotions flowing over the young witch. "You are lucky to have such caring friends, Miss Granger, they hadn't left your side since you arrived." Hermione smiled weakly at the image of her best friends sitting with her all night. "You're also lucky they're not quite as bright as you, or they would have figured out what spells I was using."

Hermione didn't respond, feeling ill once more at the looming secret she was keeping from her friends. She'd had unprotected sexual intercourse with someone Harry and Ron both considered to be one of their main enemies, aside from Voldemort of course. Then, having lied to the mediwitch about who the potion was for, she ended up having an allergic reaction to it and scaring them. Ron had been holding her _hand._ That was the heat she'd felt in her dream, his fingers wrapped around hers. He had never been the hugging sort, that was always Harry, but he had been there, _holding her hand._ _Oh gods,_ she groaned internally, the little bit of a crush resurfacing with the simple action. _He is with Lavender now, and you're shagging Draco bloody Malfoy. There is no good reason for you to be all mushy because he was_ worried _about you._ Her rational mind kept justifying away the feelings, but her heart ached.

In an effort to deter it, she pictured Draco staring at her and breathlessly telling her how absolutely stunning she was. _He wasn't afraid of his feelings for you. At least not in front of you. He could be murdered if anyone found out and yet he was willing to risk it over you._ A shiver ran over her skin and she drew herself from her self-pity to notice that Madame Pomfrey had puttered off to tend to other students. She was alone. _I wish he was here..._

-x-

Entering the common room was a very odd experience. Hermione knew that everyone would know she'd collapsed before dinner the previous night and she'd missed an entire Sunday in a hospital wing cot, but part of her _hoped_ that no one would be waiting around for her to come back. She'd hoped that people would be over the entire incident and wouldn't really care what it was that had made her pass out. She'd known there'd been suspicions, that she hadn't been eating properly or that she'd been poisoned. The number one suspect for the latter theory was, of course, Draco Malfoy. Hermione had half a mind to believe it was Harry himself who had perpetuated that particular rumour, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't know Draco as she did.

With a deep breath, she uttered the password to the fat lady who had also been giving her suspicious looks but opened the passageway to her regardless. Stepping through, Hermione was greeted with a sea of hushes and about fifteen pairs of eyeballs glued to her. It wasn't just her year scattered about the overstuffed furniture, but a few students from every year from first to seventh. Her face immediately flushed a vibrant rose and she wrapped her arms around her torso. She knew her face was cemented into a frown, but she forced out an awkward grin and commanded her hand to give a wave as she walked further into the Gryffindor common room.

"'mione!" Ron's voice broke through the silence and drew her attention as he bolted out from the crowd, Harry and Ginny close behind him. Her smile melted and became more genuine as she approached her friends, Harry quickly enveloping her in a hug and Ron patting her on the arm. "We were so worried about you but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us back in after she banished us," Ronald continued.

"Thanks for staying with me. Madame Pomfrey said you hadn't left my side since I was admitted," Hermione offered, not knowing what else to say as her friends eyed her impatiently. They wanted to know what had happened, _desperately,_ but were waiting for her to give it up. It wasn't like them to hold back their questioning, but she was glad they'd taken this opportunity to practice.

"Was it-" Ginny started, but Harry gripped the ginger's arm tightly, making her stop. Ginny clenched her jaw and forced a caring smile, pulling her friend into a hug once more. "Was it poison?" The girl whispered into Hermione's ear, making her eyes roll slightly. Harry took the cue and yanked the Weasley girl off his friend.

"I think I'm going to head to sleep, I'm a bit achy from being in a bed for an entire day, I could use some time to practice my pain reducing charms," Hermione lied. Her three friends stared at her blankly. The brunette nodded curtly and moved past them and through the crowd, up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. With a few flicks of her wand, she shut the curtains around her bed and commanded a book into her lap. She wished there was a way she could order tea without immediately putting some house-elves to work. She had attempted to perfect a brewing spell, but always seemed to burn the tea she conjured, so she'd given up on that project rather quickly.

She chewed her lip, flipping open to the page she'd left off at, as she let her consciousness fall out of the present. The witch knew she was reading, words were in front of her eyes and they were flicking as though she _were_ reading, but she wasn't absorbing anything in front of her. Instead, her mind flittered with pictures of Draco and his form pressed to her. It morphed and it was Ron now cupping her buttocks as they stood on the ledge off the astronomy tower. Shaking her head wildly, she sat up straighter in her bed and took a deep breath.

"Hermione?" The sickly sweet voice of Lavender Brown cut through the silence. _Perfect timing,_ Hermione thought bitterly. The brunette forced herself to spread open the curtains so she could see where the blonde was, only to be met with her face two inches from her own. "Oh good, you're still awake!" She chirped, making Hermione wince. "I just wanted to say how nice it was that you're doing alright. I know my Ronniekins was absolutely _terrified_ that you'd been poisoned or something worse by one of those evil Slytherins." It took all her strength for Hermione not to roll her eyes at the blatant insertion of Lavender's relationship with Ron.

"I'm just pleased he was there, holding my hand when I woke up," Hermione bit back, obviously taking the other witch at a bit of a shock. The intelligent witch wasn't one for petty fights and she certainly didn't need to be wasting her time bickering with Lavender over Ronald, but there was something satisfying in seeing the blonde reel back from her words.

"Well, he was obviously being a good friend," Lavender retorted and Hermione took the opportunity to sit straighter in her bed.

"Yes, a _very_ good friend. I'm a very lucky witch to have such caring friends," Hermione repeated the words of the mediwitch. Lavender huffed at Hermione's insinuation and stomped away to her own cot.

"Thank Merlin," Hermione breathed, closing the curtains around her bed once more.

-x-

 _November 18th, 1996_

Life seemed to have returned to normal by lunchtime the next day. People didn't have answers, but they seemed to be content to simply suppose their own answers to the burning question and left Hermione alone. Walking to her next class, she held her books to her chest and gasped loudly, dropping them to the floor as she was pulled back and into a closet. Her mouth was quickly covered so she couldn't scream as she adjusted to the minimal lighting.

"It's me," Draco whispered and Hermione instantly recalled his scent filling the air around him. A burning heat took over her and she pulled his hand from her mouth and pressed him into the wall of the broom closet, kissing him deeply. He groaned, pulling off her cardigan and nearly ripping the blouse from her body. He kissed a trail down her neck as his hand slipped up her skirt. She cast a muffliato around them and let out a throaty moan as his finger toyed with her skillfully. Her clit throbbed with every flick as his mouth cupped the nipple he had freed from her bra. She leaned against the other wall of the closet as she melted into her pleasure, biting her lip and moaning louder now.

"There's that Gryffindor courage," he purred against her flesh, sending her over the edge as she orgasmed onto his fingers. He made a satisfied grunt that brought her down from her high enough that she reached between them and freed him of his pants and trousers, his member already hardened. She knelt down and took the head into her mouth, sucking happily. She'd never given oral before, and the natural feeling of the activity caught her off guard as she responded to every moan and flinch he made until he pulled her hair so much that she released him.

Hungrily, he brought her back to his lips and kissed her feverishly, gripping her arse tightly then tearing her pants from her form. "Draco!" She gasped, looking down at the torn fabric in his hand.

"I'll fix them after, don't worry," he whispered before capturing her mouth again and lifting her from her feet. In a swift movement, he slammed her against the wall and lowered her channel onto his cock. The sensation making her shiver and groan. She released a breathy gasp, letting her head fall back against the wood as he fucked her slowly.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, coming crashing down from her high. "The potion." She demanded, and he nodded, lowering them carefully to reach for his wand.

" _Accio contraceptive,"_ he cast, a potion leaping from his bag into his hand which she took and gulped down eagerly. He then rebalanced them, pressing her harder into the wall and picking up the pace. She dug her nails into his back as he slammed into her. "Fuck Granger," he grumbled into her neck, making her chew on her lip as she allowed herself to wallow in the pleasure, losing herself easily. Finally, she reached her peak, tightening her core around his cock and moaning, jerking her hips as the sensation wracked through her. He came shortly after, in two short grunts, his hands holding her into him tightly.

Hermione kissed his cheek, it was sticky with sweat, but her haze made it easy to forget her normal reaction. He moved his head and captured her lips, nipping at her lower one as he slid out of her. She steadied herself on the floor and continued to kiss him, as his hands explored her body. Normally she'd flinch, ticklish at the best of times, but she felt safe in his hands. A knock at the door shook them both and they lept apart.

"Draco, when you're done fucking Pansy, get to class. We have potions to brew, you bloody idiot," a male voice demanded. Draco stared at her with wide eyes and she tried to not make a noise, holding her breath as she stared back him. The blond leaned towards the door handle and quietly pulled at it, making sure whoever was on the other side wouldn't be able to open it. Once the sound of feet puttering off gave them some peace of mind, Hermione checked on her muffliato to ensure it was still in place before letting herself laugh.

"Who was that?" She asked, and Draco shook his head.

"Blaise Zabini," he answered and Hermione nodded.

"That's why he sounded familiar," she decided.

"Slug Club," they echoed. Hermione smiled at the boy in front of her, feeling herself relax a little bit from their fit of heat and pleasure. He picked up her clothes and handed them to her, taking her pants in his hand last and pointing his wand at them. She placed her hand over them, blocking the spell and he glanced at her, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"I can go a day without pants," she whispered cheekily. A smirk formed on the boy's lips as she tucked her breast back into her bra and began buttoning her blouse over top.

"See you in Arithmancy?" Before she could answer, he ducked out of the closet and into the stream of student traffic. Staring at the door, she huffed and quickly cast a cleaning charm on herself before ensuring her tie was straight. She ran her fingers through her hair and determined it was far too wild to be left as it was, so she conjured a hair tie and pulled her hair back.

 _No one ever tells you how uncomfortable it is to not wear pants under a skirt,_ she bemoaned internally as she made her way to Potions. She entered the dungeon classroom and found her usual spot next to Harry who glanced at her sideways before straightening up as Slughorn entered the classroom. Her gaze drifted over to Draco who was already staring at her, particularly her legs. A smirk betrayed her as she supposed her was caught up in the idea of her having nothing on below her skirt. The power tingled her nerves but she shook herself to attention. She was not about to be caught off guard by Slughorn again this class.

-x-

Purposefully, Hermione made a long detour to the lavatories in order to ensure that she was just a little bit late for her Arithmancy class. That and she was surprised how much she felt she needed a few drying charms down there. The witch wasn't sure if it was the images of Draco making her rather _wet_ or it was something that happened naturally and her pants usually just caught the brunt of it.

When she arrived in her class, she was pleased to find the spot beside Draco empty and most other spots were taken up. Feigning annoyance, she cautiously approached Draco's side and slid in beside him and laid out her notebook and adjusted her posture. It was barely a second before his hand was on her thigh and slowly inching towards the hem of her skirt. Immediately, she knew the cause of her moisture and swallowed hard as Professor Vector took her place at the front of the classroom.

His fingers were ghosting her folds when the Professor asked a question of the class and Hermione's arm instinctively shot up.

Heat filled her cheeks. "Yes, Miss Granger?" She took a moment to look at the equation on the board, realizing she hadn't quite been paying attention as Draco pulled his hand away from her.

" _Three-hundred-and-ninety-six,_ " Draco whispered.

"Three-hundred-and-ninety-six," Hermione repeated, louder, and Professor Vector nodded contently, returning to her lecture.

"Ought to pay more attention, Granger," Draco teased and Hermione took the opportunity to place her hand over his, guiding it back towards her thigh.

"You ought to focus more yourself, Malfoy," she retorted. With a devious smirk, she could only see from her periphery, he slid a finger between her lips and began working at her nub. She gathered all her strength and never allowed herself to delve into the pleasure so much that she lost focus on the lecture, but enough that she could feel herself building to a peak. She pushed his hand away before she could get there and the two resumed their note-taking. In a lull, Hermione reached down and placed her hand on his thigh, inching up as he hand, until she was met with a hardened bulge. She toyed with the head a bit, gently, before trailing her fingers up the length. It was strange, the feeling of cotton under her fingers instead of his flesh, though she could feel its perfect outline.

"Class dismissed," the words sent the couple jumping from their seats. If anyone stared, they didn't notice, quickly tidying their notes away and almost running from the classroom. She didn't know where they were going, but she was rather stuck on the idea of rejoining him on the ledge. She made her way to the Astronomy tower, not looking back to see if he was following her, and found herself on the ledge. She spun around, expecting him to be there, but he wasn't, and her heart dropped.

"Miss me?" His voice taunted from behind her and she twisted back around, flinging herself into his arms. He met her mouth with an equal fever and dove his hand between her legs, making quick work of her hanging orgasm. Its power made her drop to her knees which she took advantage of, quickly removing his trousers and pants once more and sliding his member into her mouth. She flicked her tongue along the tender underneath that made him moan louder than he ever had before and took in more length as she sucked at the hardened member. It seemed that he was just as close to the edge as she had been because it didn't take him long before he grabbed a hold of her ponytail and tugged. She sucked once more at the head before he kneeled down between her legs and quickly slammed his cock into her. With one thrust he made the telling groan that he had orgasmed as well, spilling into her.

He relaxed onto her and kissed her neck lazily. "You drive me insane, Granger," he murmured, making her smirk.

"Good," she retorted, sighing contently. There was a moment of silence, where the two laid there and slowly exposed themselves to the cold air before Hermione pipped up. "How long does the pre-sex contraceptive work for?" She asked, feeling her stomach flop.

"Six hours," he answered. "I would have given you another one if we needed to." Draco rolled off of her and she felt a chill as a breeze blew up her skirt.

"How did Blaise know it was you? We cast muffliato, he couldn't possibly have heard us," Hermione questioned.

"He's the one who told me about the broom closet, he probably heard the muffliato and assumed," Draco explained. "If it had been anyone else, well I'd imagine there would be quite the rumour going about in regards to me and Pansy."

"Did you two ever date?"

"Who? Me and Blaise?" The blond wizard joked.

"You and Pansy," Hermione insisted.

"No. Our parents wanted us to, but there was never anything there from me," he said, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped over his feet. Hermione sat up much the same, except she hugged her knees to her chest and rested her cheek on them. "It's not that she's not pretty, I just... There's just nothing there."

"Pretty," Hermione echoed mindlessly. Draco threw his arms around her and dragged her onto his lap, making her gasp at the sudden action.

"She may be pretty, but you are stunning," he whispered, kissing her delicately. _I don't need that reassurance,_ she muttered to herself as melted into the embrace. _But it doesn't hurt._ She grinned against his lips as they kissed a moment. _Are we_ dating? The question popped into her head and her eyes grew wide. _Am I dating Draco bloody Malfoy?_

-x-

She'd left shortly after her internal panic, citing that she had to meet her friends for dinner or they would be worried about her and she didn't need any more questions. He'd understood, but he was caught off-guard as she conjured herself new pants and adjusted herself on her way out the door. Sitting now between Harry and Ginny and across from Ron, she was a little lost.

It was only Lavender that drew her attention to the action around her, as the blond girl placed herself into her boyfriend's lap. "How was your day, Ronniekins?" Hermione groaned. If she and Draco _were_ dating, she would _never_ be that type of girlfriend. She wouldn't sit in his lap and call him disgusting names and play with his hair while he ate dinner with his friends. She couldn't imagine Draco's friends would let her get away with it anyway. They would probably order her dead the moment they found out. _A muggleborn dating a pureblood? What has this world come to?_

"What's up, 'mione?" Ron asked, and Hermione glanced around to see all her friends staring at her.

"I have a project due, and I really want to start working on it, sorry, I don't mean to be absent," she lied. Hermione finished all her projects long before they were due and would never just sit and worry about them. If there was something pressing, she would have no issue in hiding herself away in the library until it was done. She hoped, for the sake of her bad lying, that they wouldn't notice this fact about her and simply let it go.

"Right, homework's the worst," Ron bemoaned, and Lavender eagerly agreed, petting the boy's ginger hair and shooting Hermione a look of disdain she barely registered.

"If you need some help, Hermione, we're happy to do anything we can," Harry piped up. "I know losing a full Sunday probably threw off your study plans."

"Thanks," Hermione responded. They definitely knew she wouldn't accept help from them even if she _were_ running behind on homework, as nothing could live up to her standards. "Thank you all for caring, I'm very lucky to have such caring friends," she repeated the mediwitch's words once more. _I'm very lucky,_ she echoed in her mind, quickly followed by an image of her caring friends' worst school enemy.


End file.
